Michael Lee of the Washington Post has a piece out on how the Washington Wizards are "still haunted" by Gilbert Arenas' massive contract extension in 2008. The headline and subsequent article is a roundabout way of saying what we noted a few weeks ago: the decision to trade for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza appears to be a $43 million mistake unless the two dramatically pick it up. Forty-three million, of course, is what the two players are owed over the next two years. In essence, the Wizards took whatever money they saved by dealing Arenas for Rashard Lewis and reapplied it to Okafor and Ariza.

A 43 million dollar mistake. That's how Mike Prada and countless of Wizard fans have characterized this trade, merely after just the first week of the regular season. Three weeks in, they started pondering any and every alternative Ernie Grunfeld could have made instead. Yes, the duo we shipped off to the nation's capital has been that bad. They comprise roughly 1/3 of the Wizard's payroll but have played in under 19% of the available minutes. That's unacceptable that on a bad team, they have simply been worse than most of their counterparts. We really do owe their fans some type of condolence letter.

This is also further proof I know shit. I actually thought this trade was a good one when it went down for Washington. Considering I've been spewing what Colangelo has been promoting for the last few years, I'm doing the opposite like George Costanza. Take on the worst contracts in the league but get back lots of first round draft picks in the process. I never would have thought a few months ago I'd think this is the right direction for the team but there it is.

The Raptors finished the 2010Ė2011 season with a dismal 22-60 record. In April 2011, the website Basketball Prospectus, a go-to for stats junkies, ranked the Raptors dead last in payroll efficiency, which measures a teamís wins per salary dollar spent. No GM in the NBA was getting less bang for his buck than Colangelo.

The "premium" of playing in Toronto probably explains some of this, but a worrisome stat nonetheless.

The "premium" of playing in Toronto probably explains some of this, but a worrisome stat nonetheless.

Yep, a team looking to rebuild and lose shouldn't be at the salary cap....

EDIT: By the way, this is something all the "BC makes MLSE money" guys should take note of. Here's MLSE spending big bucks for a terrible team. Not a great use of revenues. I suspect this is what bugged guys like Glenn Silvestri: the value for money they were getting.

Listening in today in Primetime with Bob McCowan and he mentioned that part of the issue is having a 20 year-old rookie as a centre. Umm, wasn't that his decision? *Facepalm* Seriously, he sounds like a pathetic, used car salesman. He really sound like he and the franchise are not going anywhere soon.

ďThe saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.Ē - Martin Luther King

Listening in today in Primetime with Bob McCowan and he mentioned that part of the issue is having a 20 year-old rookie as a centre. Umm, wasn't that his decision? *Facepalm* Seriously, he sounds like a pathetic, used car salesman. He really sound like he and the franchise are not going anywhere soon.

SCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAM!

It is official. I hate Colangelo. The guy he pins the hopes and dreams of the franchise's fans on is now under the bus.

Typical Raptor luck: I bet we keep our pick this year in a weak draft at number 3 (it's top 3 protected) and then end up giving it away next year when we squeak into the playoffs with a deep draft. FML

Typical Raptor luck: I bet we keep our pick this year in a weak draft at number 3 (it's top 3 protected) and then end up giving it away next year when we squeak into the playoffs with a deep draft. FML

I would much rather take a top 3 pick in a weak draft, than a 16th pick in a deep draft.

Bryan Colangelo: Once again, we've been going through this process, we've been trying to make good long-term strategic decisions. I will fault the coaching staff for one thing: We probably won too many games last year in terms of part of this process. It's not that we were trying to lose, we were trying to establish a culture and that was a success. But at the same time, the draft process probably played itself out differently.

Somebody else quoted this, but I had to do a double take. Did he really just criticize his coach for not tanking hard enough last season? Does a GM of a professional sports team actually say this kind of thing out loud and on the record? BC is losing it here. Unbelievable. This should be a fine or at least a warning from David Stern.

Somebody else quoted this, but I had to do a double take. Did he really just criticize his coach for not tanking hard enough last season? Does a GM of a professional sports team actually say this kind of thing out loud and on the record? BC is losing it here. Unbelievable. This should be a fine or at least a warning from David Stern.

it is the truth though, how much better would we be if we had harrison barnes or micheal kidd gilchrist right now? Last year we could've got a franchise changing player, this year I have no idea where we are going to find one.

Somebody else quoted this, but I had to do a double take. Did he really just criticize his coach for not tanking hard enough last season? Does a GM of a professional sports team actually say this kind of thing out loud and on the record? BC is losing it here. Unbelievable. This should be a fine or at least a warning from David Stern.

He's right tho. Dwane Casey overachieves on a meaningless season and then coaches the team to bottom 3 in the league this year.

He's right tho. Dwane Casey overachieves on a meaningless season and then coaches the team to bottom 3 in the league this year.

Just think of how stupid that sounds. He over achieved last year, this year he is underachieving, that is quite the margin of error. Casey is all over the place, one day he almost beats the spurs, the next day he coaches the team to 3 good quarters against paul and blake.

Maybe its not the coaching? You can only keep up with the spurs and clippers for so long before you realize that NOT a single person on your starting 5 can make the starting roster of your opposing team. It's just a matter of time before your subpar roster has a bad quarter, and that is what we are seeing, and its far from Casey's fault.

The idea that we are better then the clippers and the spurs is beyond stupid. How can you blame Casey for the ending of those games, but not give him the credit for keeping up with those rosters.... is beyond me. Our horses are not finishers. They look good running, but there is a reason why teams are not pounding on our door for any of our players.

Personally, I think Casey is the only reason we have been in so many close games.

Just think of how stupid that sounds. He over achieved last year, this year he is underachieving, that is quite the margin of error. Casey is all over the place, one day he almost beats the spurs, the next day he coaches the team to 3 good quarters against paul and blake.

Maybe its not the coaching? You can only keep up with the spurs and clippers for so long before you realize that NOT a single person on your starting 5 can make the starting roster of your opposing team. It's just a matter of time before your subpar roster has a bad quarter, and that is what we are seeing, and its far from Casey's fault.

The idea that we are better then the clippers and the spurs is beyond stupid. How can you blame Casey for the ending of those games, but not give him the credit for keeping up with those rosters.... is beyond me. Our horses are not finishers. They look good running, but there is a reason why teams are not pounding on our door for any of our players.

Personally, I think Casey is the only reason we have been in so many close games.

The fact that the defensive culture from last season is completely lost has to be at least partially Casey's fault. They got better defenders, but are way worse defensively. Talent is irrelevant when the whole defensive system has disappeared.

I'm not completely disagreeing with you, just giving another perspective

The fact that the defensive culture from last season is completely lost has to be at least partially Casey's fault. They got better defenders, but are way worse defensively. Talent is irrelevant when the whole defensive system has disappeared.

I'm not completely disagreeing with you, just giving another perspective

How did they get better defenders? Who at SF is better at defence than James Johnson?

JV has been atrocious defensvily, pairing him with Davis has been a disaster.

Terrence Ross is a negative overall statistically to this team as well.

There is nothing better about this team defensively over last year, and that has a lot to do with the roster, and obligations to play Ross and JV.

Casey is not a magician, and expecting him to turn JV into a starting Center in his first year is beyond ridiculous. I can't believe you guys expect to play our rookies and still make 8th seed.

He's right tho. Dwane Casey overachieves on a meaningless season and then coaches the team to bottom 3 in the league this year.

Yeah, for sure. I'm a big advocate of tanking, **ahem**, I mean, playing the youth and resting the vets... but I've just never heard a GM even 'allude' to tanking for the draft even in the slightest off-hand way. We all know Cleveland, Washington, Nets, Bobcats, Heat, etc... have been doing it in recent memory, but for a GM to actually say it out loud to the media... that's almost Babcockian.

Here is how our players are fairing defensively. With the 82 games ranking, the defenders tend to be on top, as both sides of the ball are accounted for, what you score, and what your position scores against you.